The Anderson Secret
by TheQueenOfGleeks
Summary: (Filler for BPOTD #634) Blaine's dad has Alzheimer's. He was admitted to "Sunrise Assisted Living" because Mrs. Anderson has to work double-shifts & Blaine can't take care of him on his own. Blaine doesn't want anyone to know, but while visiting his father in the nursing home he bumps into an unexpected teammate. Warnings: Slightly AU & Alzheimer's


**Title** ~ The Anderson Secret

**Summary** ~ (Filler for BPOTD #634) Blaine's dad has Alzheimer's. He was admitted to "Sunrise Assisted Living" because Mrs. Anderson has to work double-shifts & Blaine can't take care of him on his own. Blaine doesn't want anyone to know, but while visiting his father in the nursing home he bumps into an unexpected teammate. Warnings: Slightly AU & Alzheimer's

**Characters **~ Blaine & Sam

**Rating** ~ T

**Genre **~ Hurt/Comfort/Friendship

**Author's Note** ~I love Klaine too, but this will completely disregard Kurt.

**Disclaimer **~ I do not presume to know everything about Alzheimer's. I apologize if any of this is portrayed incorrectly.

–

**_Blaine was 13 when his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's._**

Mr. Anderson had always been the forgetful-type, so it took a while for the family to realize what was going on. He would misplace items, forget to pick up the groceries, etc. but it grew into something much worse. It became as if his wife and sons were distant friends and strangers.

**_H_****_e was 14 when his father was admitted to 'Sunrise Assisted Living'_**

Blaine remembered his mother driving up to the facility. He remembered the way she spoke to his father as if they'd never see him again. He remembered the constant job-searches, overtimes, and extra-shifts she took.

**_He was 15 when he started visiting his father on his own_**

The young Anderson was always greeted by Nurse Kathy at the front desk. She would smile sweetly and tell him if his father was having a 'good or bad day'. She would assure him that his father was getting the best help he could, although his disease was incurable.

**_He was 16 when he'd developed a schedule_**

While attending Dalton, Blaine woke up at 5:30 precisely, and was dressed/ready for school by 6 o'clock. He would walk to the coffee shop around the corner, buy himself, his father, and Nurse Kathy a muffin, and walk to Sunrise. When he arrived at the facility, he would greet Nurse Kathy with her morning snack, chat with a few of the patients, and see his father in room 2646.

After briefly visiting his father, Blaine would walk to the 7:15 bus on Union St, and arrive at Dalton nearing 7:45. His classes lasted until 2:30, on days of Warbler practice 3:30, and Blaine would always meet his father at the facility afterward.

Seeing his father was hard. Sometimes he would recognize him, other times he would call him the wrong name, or he would appear as a stranger entirely. Some days he would call him 'Cooper', who had left the house a year prior to Mr. Anderson's diagnosis. Less frequently, Blaine would be refereed to as 'Randy', his deceased Uncle.

When Blaine transferred to McKinley, his schedule was slightly altered. He would be dressed & ready for the day at the same times, but Blaine _did_ live in the small town of Lima, so he didn't have to spend thirty minutes on a bus to school, he could spend that time with his father.

In Lima, School ended at 2:00, ND practice ended at 3:00, so Blaine could spend even more time with his father. It was nice to see him more, but it killed him to know that his father was **never** going to get better.

Blaine was 17 when he ran into an unexpected teammate at 'Sunrise'

Blaine had always chosen to keep his father's illness a secret. He wasn't ashamed, he loved his father, but he despised the pity he'd receive and the explanations he would give.

But one afternoon, when ND practice had been canceled, Blaine saw someone unexpected at the facility. He went to greet Nurse Kathy, as he always did, with a smile and an afternoon coffee, but she was preoccupied.

"Sam, for the ten _thousandth_ time, you need to improve you grades if you're going to stay on that football team," the nurse scolded.

"I'm trying, ma. I really am. I've been working extra with the tutor. Algebra is just really hard with the," the blonde boy lowered his voice slightly, "dyslexia."

Blaine recognized the boy's voice as soon as he spoke, but without seeing his face entirely, Blaine couldn't remember who it belonged to.

_Tall._

_Blonde._

_Dyslexia._

_Football team._

_Sam._

Sam... _Evans?_

Sam Evans. Oh, god, Sam was going to know. Sam was going to know about his father. Sam was going to look at his with pity. Sam was going to pretend he understood when he couldn't.

Nurse Kathy's son was_ Sam Evans. _The same Sam that he'd bonded with over the past two years in glee club. He knew Lima was a small town, but he didn't realize it was_ that_ small.

Hesitantly, Blaine approached the kind Nurse with her 'afternoon caffeine' as they liked to call it. Sam noticed that it was Blaine immediately.

"Blaine? Why in the world are you here?" Sam questioned, earning a slap on the shoulder from his mother with a look that said _'Manners, Sam'_

"I...uh...I'm visiting family," Blaine answered vaguely.

Nurse Kathy smiled and explained, "Blaine has been visiting his father here daily for the past 3 years. Every morning he comes in with a muffin for me and his father. Every afternoon he brings me a coffee, and his dad tea. He's just being modest."

_'No, I actually wanted to keep that a secret, Nurse K'_

Sam looked stunned, "Y-Your dad? Why is he here?"

"Alzheimer's" Blaine muttered under his breath, before quickly adding, "I really should go see him" and walking off.

After his hour-long visit, Blaine bumped into Sam in the waiting room.

"Dude, can we talk?"

"I really have to go, Sam" Blaine replied, acting as if he had somewhere to be.

"No you don't."

"Fine, I don't, but I would prefer if we _didn't_ talk about my dad's Alzheimer's."

"Then we won't," Blaine sighed in relief, "We'll talk about the fact that you look like you're ready to commit homicide."

Blaine began to protest, "Sam, I'm completely fine, it's just-"

"No, Mr. 23 Clubs, Class President, Tutor, New Rachel, Workaholic, you are most definitely not fine. My mom just told me that you look as if you're going to break down in tears every time you leave."

"I'm still not over the fact that Nurse Kathy's your mom," The smaller boy chuckled, trying to change the subject.

"Don't," Sam warned, knowing far too well what he was doing, "Just tell me how I can help Blaine. I'm your friend. You're always there for me and I want to be there for you."

"I don't need you to 'be here' for me, because I'm fine," Blaine barked.

Sam pulled Blaine into the small, vacant Nurses' lounge on the side of the waiting room.

"Yes, Blaine, you are totally fine. You're totally fine because you look like you're about to cry. You're totally fine because you barely eat at lunch. You're totally fine because you look like you're goin' to throw up every time a teacher assigns an essay, and you love to write so don't pretend you hate it. You're totally fine because you're planning a school pep rally, bake sale, and now _Sadie Hawkins,_ of all dances, alone. Yeah, dude, you're completely fine."

With that, Blaine looked up at Sam with wide, tear-filled eyes. He felt so broken. So lost. So incapable. And now someone knew. And it only hurt him more inside.

"I-I just.. uh.. I..." Blaine started to cry, mumbling quietly, Sam could only make out the word 'mad'

Sam looked remorseful, "Dude, I'm not mad."

Blaine looked up and spoke as if he was a child, "Y-You're not?

Sam smiled sadly, "No, dude. I'm worried about you. I just don't want you to have to do everything alone. I'm you're VP, you're supposed to make ME do some of the work too, ya' know."

"I just, uh," Blaine sniffled, "I'm used to it, my mum's always at work, and my dad's... here, thinking I'm Cooper, or some other annoying relative."

"Well get_ un_used to it. I'm not letting you do any more of this crap alone."

And he didn't. Sam helped him plan all of the school events, he walked with Blaine to the Facility, he forced him to _eat. _They did homework together, though that was really for Sam's benefit. And he was a shoulder to cry on, so Blaine would stop bottling everything in.

**_Blaine was 18 when his father met Sam._**

Mr. Anderson was aware of his disease. A lot of the time it was overpowering, it left him trapped in his own mind. But some days, Blaine's favorite days, he would simply seem forgetful.

And one of those days happened to be the day Mr. Charles Anderson met Sam Evans.

Blaine and Sam knocked on his door, this may seem strange, but it was routine.

An older man's voice spoke, "Come in!"

He smiled at the sight of his son, hugging him fiercely, as he always did.

Sam awkwardly stood in the corner of the room as Blaine an his father interacted. About two minutes into their conversation, Mr. A noticed the boy and said, "So, B, were you planning on introducing us, or were you going to let the poor boy stand in the corner?"

Sam smiled and walked over, "I'm Sam, sir, Sam Evans."

"Don't call me 'sir' Sam, I'm," he paused briefly, as if he had to think about his own name, "Chuck."

They shook hands, and smiled as they interacted with each other. Sam rambling with his superhero tactics and impressions, Chuck laughing wildly, and Blaine relaxing a bit. He wished his father could always be like this. He just wanted a dad that was okay.

**_Blaine was 21 when his father died_**

The friends were roommates at NYU by the time they were 19. Blaine was majoring in Dramatic Literature, Sam in Psychology (taking after his mother), and they were still _extremely_ close.

They still visited Mr. 'Call me Chuck' Anderson at the facility, but only biweekly; on the weekends. It hurt Blaine to see his father less, but he had a life to live on his own. They pair would always spend the weekend at the Evans' House, because, as always, Blaine's mother was rarely ever home.

Yes, Blaine loved his mother, but he's seen Mrs. 'You Can Still Call Me Kathy' Evans, more than he ever seen her. They have a very unusual relationship.

One night, the Thursday before Blaine was supposed to visit his father, Mrs.- _Nurse Kathy _called Blaine on his cellphone.

"Mrs. Evans?" Blaine smirked, that annoyed Kathy more than anything. So he was worried when she didn't correct him, "Is everything okay?"

He heard her sniffle on the other line, "Blaine, it's your dad. He... He passed away."

_His father was gone._

Blaine was a surprise, his father was an older man when he was born, so he knew his father would die while he was young, but he didn't expect it to be _this _early in his life. His dad was only sixty-two. And he was gone.

The next days were impossible. Sam trying desperately to comfort him, the flight back to Lima, seeing his mother, seeing the body, and, of course, the funeral.

Strangely enough, Sam gave the eulogy. And the entire time it seemed as if he was talking to Blaine's father.

"Mr. Anderson. I don't even know what to say. I know what you'd say. You'd tell me not to call you Mr. Anderson. Or you'd call me by the wrong name, or you'd tell me to 'Tell B to stop wearing so much hair gel'. Well, sir, that's never going to happen," Tears rolled down his cheeks, "Technically, I'm not family. I'm just Blaine's weird friend from around the corner, who loves superheroes and does good impressions. But one day, when talking to the staff at Sunrise, you called me your son. It may have been a mistake, but it meant the world to me. That is the one memory I will treasure. Even if you did say, _'Get my sons out of here, I want to watch my football in peace.'_"

It wasn't your typical speech, but Chuck wasn't your typical guy. Some days he would forget everything about you, the next he would be teasing you about your hair gel overdose. Sure, he had Alzheimer's. Sure, sometimes he thought they were sitting on the sidelines at a football game. But he was loved by everyone, especially the Evans'.

And sure, Blaine never planned on anyone finding out about his dad. But Sam was definitely the ideal person. He never expected one friend to have such an impact on his life. But then again, he and Sam weren't friends, _they were brothers._

**Disclaimer: Again, I apologize if any of this was portrayed incorrectly & for the cheesy as hell last sentence. **


End file.
